In my opinion, slow cooking beef is the only way to go. You can actually buy a very inexpensive cut of beef, cook it at a low heat for a long time – and out comes a tender piece of goodness. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and I was drooling just reading all the ingredients. I happen to love Malay curry – and I could already taste the combination of the shallots, coconut milk, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. When I went to the store to get the beef, I passed over the already cubed stew meat and decided to go for the boneless chuck roast like the recipe called for. The chuck roast had a nice marbling of fat through the meat – and I knew it would make the beef just melt in your mouth. I was right – this dish was amazing. The flavors were incredible. My sauce was not as thick as the recipe read, but it didn’t matter – once the sauce hit the rice, it was a perfect consistency. If you like Malay curry, you have got to try this dish – don’t wait. If chidren are going to be eating this – I would omit the serrano chiles…the chili garlic sauce will give it a nice mild spice that children can handle.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced peeled ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 to 2 serrano chiles, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk, divided
- 2/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted
- 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 (3-inch) fresh lemongrass stalks, crushed
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups hot cooked basmati rice
Preparation
Place first 9 ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk; process until smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl; set aside.
Place 3 tablespoons coconut milk and flaked coconut in food processor; process until a smooth paste forms.
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot mixture; cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining coconut milk, rind, and next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Discard lemongrass. Stir in flaked coconut mixture; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Serves 6.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Beef Rendang
First Look, Then Cook 
I made this recipe out of cooking Light also. It was delicious and fairly simple to make.
its indonesian, not malay
Thanks for the information – in Cooking Light they referred to it as a Malay Curry – I guess they had their facts wrong.
There are the Malaysian and Singaporean version of Rendang recipe too although the original recipe originates from Padang in Indonesia. I prefer the Malaysian and Singaporean version of Beef Rendang. And I don’t think Rendang is called Curry… It’s more like gravy.